1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of devices employed to assist drivers in locating their vehicle in a crowded parking lot in general, and in particular to such a device employing multiple interchangeable indicia and a reinforced rotatable support column.
2. Description of Related Art
As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,986,209; 5,495,821; 5,233,938; 1,595,395; and 5,299,525, the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse car locating devices employing some type of indicia.
While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are more than adequate for the basic purpose and function for which they have been specifically designed, they are uniformly deficient with respect to their failure to provide a simple, efficient, and practical car locating device having interchangeable indicia that can be customized to reflect a person""s favorite colors in a particular sequence to minimize the possibility that someone else will employ the same color combination to identify their own vehicle.
As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has existed a longstanding need among car owners for a new and improved car locating device that employs interchangeable visual indicia on a unique support system mounted on a base member that clips onto a vehicle window, and the provision of such a construction is a stated objective of the present invention.
Briefly stated, the car locating device that forms the basis of the present invention comprises in general a mounting unit, a support unit, and a visual indicator unit operatively associated with the support unit wherein the mounting unit is adapted to releasably receive the upper portion of a vehicle window.
As will be explained in greater detail further on in the specification, the mounting unit comprises a contoured base member including a base element formed integrally with a contoured clip element and defining an elongated angled slot that is dimensioned to receive a portion of a vehicle window.
The support unit includes both an elongated support shaft member that is operatively connected to the mounting unit; and an elongated support column member that is disposed in a rotatable relationship relative to the elongated support shaft member.
In addition, the visual indicator unit includes a plurality of colored pennant members which are adapted to be releasably secured to the elongated support column member; wherein, the colors of the pennants are selectively chosen by each driver from different colors and shades of the same color to provide a unique customized color recognition pattern for each driver from among a vast number of potential color choices, as well as the particular sequence in which the colored pennants are displayed on the external support column member.